Objective, Burma! is one of the best war movies to come out of the WWII era. It is reasonably realistic given the constraints of the time period, and keeps the patriotic fanfare to a minimum. The film follows the travails of soldiers on a special mission to destroy a Japanese radar station after they get stuck behind enemy lines.
What makes this film better than average is its second half, which concentrates on the soldiers' struggle for survival in the Burmese forest. The film plays up the lack of supplies, with the attendant threat of starvation, and the casualties. Although the film does some of the typical telegraphing of who will die, the deaths are still affecting.
Objective, Burma eschews the patriotic fanfare characterizing many other World War II movies, wisely focusing on the challenges faced by the soldiers. Although there is some racism directed at the Japanese, such as referring to them as monkeys, this is minimal compared to other contemporary films.
What makes this film better than average is its second half, which concentrates on the soldiers' struggle for survival in the Burmese forest. The film plays up the lack of supplies, with the attendant threat of starvation, and the casualties. Although the film does some of the typical telegraphing of who will die, the deaths are still affecting.
Objective, Burma eschews the patriotic fanfare characterizing many other World War II movies, wisely focusing on the challenges faced by the soldiers. Although there is some racism directed at the Japanese, such as referring to them as monkeys, this is minimal compared to other contemporary films.